The Arabian Travel Market exhibition is the most important travel and tourism event in the region, which reveals the potential for business of initiative and host tour operators in the Middle East, establishes contacts with new customers, strengthens existing relationships, attracts interest in its tourism products and gets acquainted with the latest industry news.
Within the framework of ATM-2010, two thematic days were held - “Vacancy and Consumer Day” and “Travel Agency Day”. In addition, the Buyers Club carried out its activities throughout the exhibition.
"Travel Agency Day", dedicated to the professional activities of travel agencies, was held on May 6, 2010. Throughout the day, representatives of travel agencies could learn a lot about their business sector during a creative and entertaining program of interactive seminars and meetings.
The “Vacancy and Consumer Day”, held on May 7, was an excellent chance for many visitors to the exhibition who were not interested in learning more about the possibilities of changing their occupation or finding a new job in the industry. On the other hand, exhibitors have opened up wide opportunities for contact with active visitors who want to pursue a career in the travel industry.
The main purpose of the "Buyers' Club is to create special conditions for professionals in the tourism and hospitality industry, in order to facilitate the establishment of direct business contacts between buyers and exhibitors. Membership in this club is granted only to senior representatives of buying companies authorized to purchase tourism products and services offered in the industry .
The four-day ATM exhibition, dedicated to the problems and prospects of the tourism and hospitality industry, brought together sellers and buyers from each sector and attracted the attention of decision-makers at the government level. Almost all participants of ATM 2010 traditionally presented their products and services at corporate stands of either countries or hotel chains. Many hotel operators, despite the global financial crisis, are expanding their presence in the Middle East region, and in particular in the UAE.
Vice President 
Phil Kasselis, an IHG hotel group in the Middle East and North Africa, commented: “We were the first to open a five-star hotel in Dubai. It was InterContinental on the coast of Dubai Creek, opened in 1975. Today, at the InterContinental Hotel Group in the Middle East and North Africa region operates more than 135 hotels and resorts under different brands - InterContinental, Crowne Plaza, Holiday Inn and others, but this is not the limit.
We continue to open new 5-star hotels, however, one of the directions of our strategy today is the opening of hotels for travelers of economy class or, in other words, budget hotels. This concept became Holiday Inn Express hotels, which today successfully operate in Dubai, Saudi Arabia and other countries of the region.
We try to meet the needs of various groups of travelers - from very wealthy to people with more modest budgets, from businessmen to vacationers with families and children. To do this, we carefully approach the choice of location of our future hotel or resort complex. By the way, many of our hotels located in the city, such as, for example, the InterContinental Dubai Festival City, are excellent for the services of those travelers who, returning from vacation in Mauritius, where they stayed at InterContinantal, only on the beach, want to spend a couple of days in Dubai to shop. We must be sure that people who once opted for our hotels will enjoy the unchanging quality of InterContinental or Crowne Plaza anywhere in the world. Thus, combined tours with accommodation in different hotels of our group will allow both businessmen and tourists to spend time outside the house, surrounded by the attention and care of our staff. It seems to me that this is very important - to provide travelers with the opportunity to choose and have a flexible approach to the formation of offers, especially in difficult financial times. Today’s portfolio of our network allows us to work with different market segments ....
Almost 50% of our hotel guests in the Middle East region are travelers from GCC countries. A fairly large percentage of guests are Americans and Europeans, as well as Russia and the CIS.
If we talk about Russian-speaking travelers, they are one of the most important target markets for the hotels of our group. Many Russian clients choose our hotels when they come to the countries of the Middle East, moreover, we are developing our presence both in Russia and in the CIS countries.
This summer we are launching a special program, under which everyone who wants to stay in our group's hotels in the UAE or neighboring countries will be able to stay for eight days, of which you will only have to pay for five. With this we want to thank our regular guests and attract new ones, both from the countries of Europe and the Middle East, and from Russia and the CIS.
What makes IHG hotels unlike others? Firstly, our desire to always locate our property in the most beautiful and historically important points of the cities in which we open our hotels and resorts. Secondly, the attention we pay to our guests and our ability to introduce them to the host country in a way that even professionals from the meeting travel agencies will not be able to (forgive me). We just give these aspects of relaxation to our guests a huge, if not paramount attention. Our concierge service will always advise where it is better to go shopping, where are the best restaurants and bars, what movie is shown in the nearest movie theater, and so on. And finally, our service, which you can trust, no matter where in the world you are in. "
Accor hotel group, known for its hotels such as Sofitel, Novotel and others, announced the opening of 17 new hotels in the Middle East region by 2012, which will add more than 5,000 hotel rooms to the room stock. The famous beach resort Le Royal Meridien Beach Resort and Spa, has been recognized as one of the selected Expedia Insiders' Select ™ hotel hotels, becoming part of a group of elite hotels and resorts of the leading online travel company Expedia, which offers tourists more than 114,000 of the best hotels and resorts around the world.
Following the successful opening of the JAL Fujairah Resort & Spa in 2007, the JAL Hotels chain (the first Japanese luxury hotel brand in the region and the UAE) announced the further expansion of its presence in the UAE and the opening of the new five-star JAL Tower Dubai hotel in Dubai 2010 year. This 57-story hotel will be located on the Sheikh Zayed Highway and offer its guests unrivaled Japanese hospitality.
In addition to the traditional participants - leading hotels and resorts, travel agents and travel agencies, air carriers and cruise operators, the exhibition was attended by offices for organizing festivals and shopping centers. So, in the framework of strengthening cooperation with hotels, tour operators and agents, as well as making an active contribution to the development of the tourism sector of the United Arab Emirates and the Middle East region, the Dubai Outlet Mall (DOM) actively participated in the Arabian Travel Market 2010 exhibition, which specializes in selling clothes and accessories of famous brands with significant discounts. 
Prices in the DOM are initially 30% lower than in other Dubai malls located within the city. Discounts at this mall are provided 365 days a year. Currently, DOM is a one-of-a-kind discount shopping center in the UAE. "We have been participating in the ATM exhibition for the third year in a row, because for our shopping center this is a unique opportunity to meet with professionals and top managers from the tourism sector directly, expand the network of our potential business partners, visitors and customers and tell them about us," I am convinced Vishal Mahajan, director of Dubai Outlet Mall. - "Over the past few years, the attendance of our shopping center, both by international visitors and local consumers, has increased significantly.
Our active participation in the international ATM exhibition, as well as the increase in the number of new services provided by DOM, played a significant role in this. In particular, the leadership of the shopping center developed and implemented such services and offers as a free bus service, a preferential offer for tourists Outlet Plus Card, a customer service with assistants who speak 15 languages, including Russian, the dynamic use of social networks Internet, launched into use the room "Father and Child" and much more.
In addition, the DOM website, its pages on the social networks Facebook, Twitter and others constantly post information on the latest news, innovations, offers, discounts and the opening of new stores, company boutiques, restaurants and cafes. "
All four days of the exhibition, the media center was full, because the most interesting press conferences were held there, at which you could find all the latest news: about the opening of the new Dubai Al Maktoum airport in June, about the launch of booths with doors closing like a compartment, Emirates first class lounges, about new routes and new services from low-cost carriers, about the appearance of new hotels on the UAE map and about the launch of summer events and festivals aimed at increasing the tourist flow to the country, and, of course, about a variety of summer trips with wounds and continents.
The culmination of the exhibition was the annual awarding of the World Travel Awards for excellent work, unsurpassed quality of services and other services to hotels and resorts, air carriers and travel companies. At the gala dinner held at The Address Dubai Marina, the best of the best were named. So the hotel-palace Emirates Palace from Abu Dhabi was named the best in seven categories. Dubai Grosvenor House Dubai has received three prestigious awards as the best business hotel in Dubai and the UAE and the best hotel apartments in the UAE. Many other players in the tourism market have been awarded prestigious and well-deserved awards.
It is impossible to talk about all the innovations and prospects for the development of the tourist market in the framework of one report. One thing is clear - the start of the summer tourist season is given, and the start is successful. We only have to choose - where, on what and with whom to go on a long-awaited vacation. See you at the Arabian Travel Market next year, 2011!
